1. Summary of the Invention
This invention relates to improved solutions for watering plant roots and methods of application, and more particularly, to water soluble solutions for application to grass and other root bearing plants, the solutions including a humectant as its principle constituent and also as additives so that during humid evenings the humectant will act to collect moisture and during hot days the humectant will act to release the collected moisture for feeding the plant roots thereadjacent.
2. Description of the Background Art
In conditions of water scarcity and/or high evaporation loss rates due to high temperatures, low humidity, high winds, etc., soil loses water rapidly. Moisture in the soil is drawn to exposed soil surfaces by capillary action thereby replacing the moisture lost by evaporation into the air. At the same time, moisture drawn from the soil into plant root fibers by osmosis is transpired through the plant stems and leaf systems, and that fraction not converted by photosynthesis is then lost by evaporation from pores of leaf surfaces. Soil can quickly become dehydrated to very low moisture content.
The survival of plants in such conditions thus depends on the amount of soil moisture which is accessible to the plant root systems. This is that fraction of the total soil moisture remaining after losses via the capillary/evaporative process. Since the evaporative losses mean soils are driest near the surface, plants with shallow root systems such as grasses and other small species, are affected more rapidly than deep-rooted plants such as trees, etc.
Where there is a marked change in ground temperatures between day and night, there is a significant air inhalation into porous soils during the night-time cooling (contraction) cycle and exhalation of air and moisture in the heat of the day. This further aggravates the overall evaporative moisture loss.
The invention described herein reduces the losses of moisture from direct evaporation, improves the proportion of soil moisture accessible to plants, and in certain conditions prevents or even reverses the evaporative loss from day/night movement in and out of porous soils.
Commercially available chemical compositions, the literature and patents disclose many compositions and methods for treating plant roots. Note, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,798,838 to Hashimoto; 4,063,919 to Grano; 4,380,886 to Koslow; 4,469,502 to Heller, and 4,540,427 to Helbling.
The patent to Hashimoto discloses fertilization and irrigation of highly permeable surface soils in semi-arid regions wherein the soils are contacted with an aqueous solution of a water soluble plant nutrient salt and an effective amount of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide to reduce the permeability of the soil without rendering it impermeable to water flow. It has been found that water soluble plant nutrients and the aforementioned partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide exhibit a synergistic effect to decrease the water permeability of the soils. It has also been found that plants grow better in the treated soil and are more efficient in uptake of nutrients from the soil. These discoveries can be used to conserve water and fertilizer and improve the efficiency of agronomy by contacting the soil with a solution having a concentration of from 0.001 to about 1 weight percent of a polyacrylamide having from 5 to about 80 percent of its amide groups hydrolyzed to carboxylic acid groups and from 0.001 to 5 weight percent of a water soluble, plant nutrient salt.
The patent to Grano relates to a fertilizer rod composition comprising about 100 parts of a polyvinyl alcohol, about 0 to 20 parts of a plasticizer and about 10 to 350 parts of a fertilizer, a process for producing such rod and a product of such process.
The Koslow patent describes a method of promoting the transport of water through medium and coarse grained soils comprising the step of applying to the medium or coarse grained soil a soil amendment composition at a level of less than 20 parts per million parts by weight of dry soil, and preferably less than 5 ppm. The composition comprises a substantially linear, substantially water-soluble hydrophilic polymer having a molecular weight greater than 50,000. A preferred polymer is poly (ethylene oxide) having a molecular weight of 300,000 to 7,000,000.
The Heller patent discloses a process for supplying plants with nutrients uniformly and over a long period of time by the addition of nutrient-charged synthetic resin ion exchangers and mineral fertilizers to the culture medium, according to which the nutrient-charged synthetic resin ion exchangers are employed together with those mineral fertilizers with particle size less than 500 .mu.m which have been coated with massive polyurethanes having a particular water absorbing capacity which is adapted in a particular manner to the water solubility of the mineral fertilizer; furthermore, fertilizers containing nutrient-charged synthetic resin ion exchangers, and the mineral fertilizers coated with the massive polyurethanes having a particular water absorbing capacity.
The Helbling patent discloses a method for improving the water conservation properties of soil. The method increases the ability of the soil to absorb and retain water and acts to stabilize the loosening of break-up of the soil.
In addition, the Merck Index discloses the use of sorbitol and other substances as humectants.
No prior art composition or method of application provides the objects and advantages of the present invention.
It has now surprisingly been found that humectants in aqueous solutions with an appropriate wetting agent function extremely well in improving the watering of plant roots.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved solutions for watering plant roots and methods of application, the solutions containing in parts per volume (1) humectant from 25 to 75, (2) thickener from 0.0 to 1.5, (3) binder from 0.0 to 5, (4) wetting agent from 0.0 to 2.0 and (5) water 75 to 25.
It is a further object of the invention to water lawns and other plant root systems with the aid of a humectant.
It is a further object of the invention to utilize chemical solutions to entrap moisture, then release such entrapped moisture for watering the roots of plants.
It is a further object of the invention to foster ecological objectives by reducing the consumption of water for plant maintenance.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.